Thermpolastic container and cover

ABSTRACT

A container and a hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor each formed of locally deformable thermoplastic material and each having depending skirts. The container skirt forms part of a rim flange with a semi-circular upper portion and the skirt is of decreasing thickness viewed downwardly. The closure skirt forms an outer wall of a downwardly open groove for receiving the container rim flange and which has a complementary semi-circular top groove wall. The cover skirt increases gradually in thickness viewed downwardly and serves to flex the container skirt inwardly on engagement of the cover whereby to provide a resilient gripping engagement of the cover and container.

United States Patent Rooke et al.

[ 51 May 15, 1973 v [541 THERMPOLASTIC CONTAINER AND 2,802,499 8/1957 Tupper 150/05 COVER FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [75] Inventors: Ralph M. Rooke, Manchester;

James v. Davis, B oo field7 of Great Britain C on" Primary Examiner.loseph R. Leclair [73] Assignee: The Fuller Brush Company, East Assistant Examiner-Stephen P. Garbe Hartford, Conn. -Att0rney- McCormick, Paulding & Huber [22] Filed: Feb. 16, 1971 App]. No.: 115,342

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1964 Crisci ..220/60 R 12/1967 Mullinix ..220/60 R X [57] ABSTRACT A container and a hermetically scalable and removable cover therefor each formed of locally deformable thermoplastic material and each having depending I skirts. The container skirt forms part of a rim flange with a semi-circular upper portion and the skirt is of decreasing thickness viewed downwardly. The closure skirt forms an outer wall of a downwardly open-groove for receiving the container rim flange and which has a complementary semi circular top groove wall. The cover skirt increases gradually in thickness viewed downwardly and serves to flex the container skirt inwardly on engagement of the cover whereby to provide a resilient gripping engagement of the cover and container.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAIEMEBH H 3. 732.909

Irv VENTORS RALPH M. ROG/(E JAMES M DAV/5 %M BY 5% A TTORNEYS 1 THERMPOLASTIC CONTAINER AND COVER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A multitude of thermoplastic container and cover designs exist in the prior art. One or more features such as positive hermetic sealing engagement, ease of manufacture, ease and convenience of use, etc. characterizes the various designs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the general object of the present invention to provide an improved container and closure design which will reflect a judicious compromise of the best of several features such as positive sealing engagement, ease of manufacture, ease and convenience in use, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring particularly to FIG. 1, it will be observed that a container and cover assembly therein comprises a container and a cover 12. The container and cover are constructed of resilient and locally deformable thermoplastic material material such as polyethylene and may vary widely in form. As shown, the container 10 takes the form of a mixing bowl or the like with a generally flat and horizontal bottom wall 14 and an integral upstanding peripheral side wall 16 which defines a mouth 18, FIG. 3, which is open upwardly. The cover 12 has a central or body portion 20 which is generally flat and which extends in a generally horizontal plane to an integral peripheral groove portion 22. As will be seen, the groove portion 22 engages with the rim or mouth portion of the container 10 in frictional and hermetically sealing engagement.

In FIG. 3, the container 10 is illustrated with an upper or mouth portion 18 of the side wall 16 and adjacent the mouth 18 and outwardly disposed therefrom, there is formed an integral peripheral rim flange 24. The rim flange 24 includes a generally horizontally outwardly projecting upper portion 26 and a depending peripheral skirt or skin portion 28 spaced outwardly from but flexible inwardly toward the side wall 16. Preferably, and as shown, the generally horizontal upper portion 26 is provided with an arcuate and semicircular upper surface 30. The peripheral skirt or skirt portion 28 may vary in form but preferably has a vertical outer wall or surface 32 and the thickness of the skirt gradually decreases as the skirt is viewed downwardly.

In FIG. 2, the groove portion 22 of the cover 12 is shown with a peripheral groove 34 which opens downwardly and which is adapted to receive the rim flange 24 of the container 10. The groove 34 has its outer wall 36 defined by an inner surface of a depending peripheral skirt 38 and, in accordance with the invention, said outer wall or inner surface 36 is inclined inwardly and downwardly from the vertical. The skirt 38 is preferably of gradually increasing thickness viewed downwardly and is in any event of greater thickness than the aforementioned container skirt 28 whereby to flex the latter inwardly during container and cover engagement.

The vertical relationship of the body portion 20 of the cover 12 with respect to the groove 34 may vary, but preferably and as shown, the said body portion is adjacent the lower or mouth portion of the groove. That is, an integral upright peripheral portion 40 extends from the body portion 20 to an upper generally horizontal and laterally outwardly projecting portion of the cover groove portion 22. As shown, the said generally horizontal portion has an arcuate configuration with an arcuate top wall 42 in the groove 34. More particularly, the top wall 42 of the: groove 34 is semicircular in cross section and is complementary to the aforementioned semi-circular upper surface 30 of the container rim flange 26. Further, the aforementioned downwardly and inwardly inclined outer groove wall or inner skirt surface 36 lies in a plane which depends from and which is tangent to said semi-circular wall 42. Thus, when the rim flange 24 is entered in the groove 34 in hermetically sealing engagement, the container skirt 28 is flexed inwardly as indicated in FIG. 4 and a resilient gripping engagement of the cover and the rim flange 24 is provided for.

For ease and convenience in telescopically entering the rim flange 24 in the cover groove 34, the cover skirt 38 is substantially longer than the container skirt 28 and the former has a rounded inner and lower edge 44. Thus, inadvertent binding and/or marring of the outer surface 32 of the container skirt is avoided. Still further, there is preferably provided an integral and outwardly projecting peripheral rim 46 at a lower end portion of the skirt 38. As will be apparent, the rim 46 provides for ease and convenience in manual manipulation during engagement and disengagement of the cover and container.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, it should be noted that the diameter at the inner surface 48 of the groove 34 is somewhat greater than the diameter at the inner surface or mouth 18 of the side wall 16. Thus, when the cover and container are engaged as shown in FIG. 4, there is a slight outward flexing of the mouth portion of the container. Further and as mentioned above, there is a slight inward flexing of the skirt 28 and at least a slight bulging or balooning tendency also occurs at the semi-circular portion 26 of the rim flange. Thus, it will be apparent that the aggregate sealing engagement may be viewed as comprising a first peripheral line or area of sealing engagement between the mouth 18 and the inner groove surface 48, a second peripheral line or area of sealing engagement between the surfaces 30 and 42, and a third peripheral line or area of sealing engagement between the outer surface 32 of the skirt 28 and the inner surface 36 of the skirt 38. Excellent hermetic sealing characteristics are thus achieved in combination with a design which exhibits a high degree of economic advantage and ease in manufacture and enhanced case and convenience in use.

We claim:

1. A container and a hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor, said container and cover being formed of a resilient and locally deformable thermoplastic material and said container having a bottom and a generally vertical side wall and an upwardly open mouth, said side wall having adjacent said mouth and outwardly disposed therefrom an integral peripheral rim flange with a generally horizontally outwardly projecting portion and a depending skirt spaced outwardly from and flexible inwardly toward said side wall, said skirt having a generally vertical outer peripheral surface, said cover having a peripheral downwardly open groove with an outer wall thereof definedby an inner surface of a depending peripheral skirt and inclined inwardly and downwardly from the vertical, said skirt container skirt is of gradually decreasing thickness viewed from top to bottom.

3. A container and hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cover has an integral outwardly projecting peripheral rim at a lower end portion thereof, said rim providing for ease in manual manipulation during engagement and disengagement of said container and cover.

4. A container and hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cover groove has an arcuate top wall and wherein said rim flange has an arcuate upper surface on said generally horizontal portion which is complementary to said arcuate top wall for hermetic sealing engagement therebetween.

5. A container and hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 4 wherein said arcuate groove top wall and said arcuate upper surface on said rim flange are each partially circular in cross section with the aforesaid downwardly and inwardly inclined outer groove wall lying in a plane depending from and tangent to said arcuate top wall.

6. A container and hermetically scalable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 5 wherein said arcuate groove top wall and said arcuate upper surface on said rim flange are each semi-circular in cross secnon.

7. A container and hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 6 wherein an integral upright peripheral portion is formed on a generally flat horizontal body portion of said cover to provide said inner wall of said groove.

8. A container and hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 7 wherein said container skirt is of gradually decreasing thickness viewed from top to bottom, and wherein said cover skirt is of gradually increasing thickness viewed from top to bottom.

9. A container and hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 8 wherein said cover skirt is substantially longer than said container skirt and has a rounded inner and lower edge portion for ease in engagement and disengagement with said container skirt.

10. A container and hermetically scalable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 9 wherein said cover has an integral outwardly projecting peripheral rim at a lower end portion thereof, said rim providing for ease in manual manipulation during engagement and disengagement of said container and cover. 

1. A container and a hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor, said container and cover being formed of a resilient and locally deformable thermoplastic material and said container having a bottom and a generally Vertical side wall and an upwardly open mouth, said side wall having adjacent said mouth and outwardly disposed therefrom an integral peripheral rim flange with a generally horizontally outwardly projecting portion and a depending skirt spaced outwardly from and flexible inwardly toward said side wall, said skirt having a generally vertical outer peripheral surface, said cover having a peripheral downwardly open groove with an outer wall thereof defined by an inner surface of a depending peripheral skirt and inclined inwardly and downwardly from the vertical, said skirt being of a somewhat greater thickness than said container skirt, said container rim flange being fully seated in said cover groove forming a frictional telescopic, and hermetical engagement with said container skirt, and said container skirt being flexed inwardly be said cover skirt thereby providing a resilient gripping engagement between said cover and flange.
 2. A container and hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said container skirt is of gradually decreasing thickness viewed from top to bottom.
 3. A container and hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cover has an integral outwardly projecting peripheral rim at a lower end portion thereof, said rim providing for ease in manual manipulation during engagement and disengagement of said container and cover.
 4. A container and hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cover groove has an arcuate top wall and wherein said rim flange has an arcuate upper surface on said generally horizontal portion which is complementary to said arcuate top wall for hermetic sealing engagement therebetween.
 5. A container and hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 4 wherein said arcuate groove top wall and said arcuate upper surface on said rim flange are each partially circular in cross section with the aforesaid downwardly and inwardly inclined outer groove wall lying in a plane depending from and tangent to said arcuate top wall.
 6. A container and hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 5 wherein said arcuate groove top wall and said arcuate upper surface on said rim flange are each semi-circular in cross section.
 7. A container and hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 6 wherein an integral upright peripheral portion is formed on a generally flat horizontal body portion of said cover to provide said inner wall of said groove.
 8. A container and hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 7 wherein said container skirt is of gradually decreasing thickness viewed from top to bottom, and wherein said cover skirt is of gradually increasing thickness viewed from top to bottom.
 9. A container and hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 8 wherein said cover skirt is substantially longer than said container skirt and has a rounded inner and lower edge portion for ease in engagement and disengagement with said container skirt.
 10. A container and hermetically sealable and removable cover therefor as set forth in claim 9 wherein said cover has an integral outwardly projecting peripheral rim at a lower end portion thereof, said rim providing for ease in manual manipulation during engagement and disengagement of said container and cover. 